In the main event, Muhammed "Muscle" DeReese takes on Bobby "The Freak" Brents in a heavyweight bout for the ages. DeReese hails from Queens, New York, and enters the fight with a 9-5-0 professional MMA record, while Brents, the pride of Springfield, Illinois, has chalked up a record of 17-8-0. Both fighters in this 265-pound weight class will be looking to add one in the win column in Detroit.

The co-main event features featherweights Olivier "Warrior of God" Murad versus Guilherme Faria. Murad is an American fighter of Haitian ethnicity who comes in with a 6-1-0 record, facing Brazilian Faria who enters the fight with an 18-10-0 record as a professional MMA fighter. At the 145-pound weight class, these lean and mean featherweights will bring heavy action on fight night.

"It's going to be a great Friday night in Detroit as the drivers hit pit row and the fighters step into the spotlight," said Steve Smith, CEO of XFC. "XFC Grand Prix promises to provide fast and furious MMA action from start to finish. The athletes have been training hard and they're fired up to put on a competitive and entertaining show for the people of the city, state, and global TV audience."

Tickets to XFC Grand Prix go on sale today at XFCFight.com or at the Wayne State Fieldhouse box office. XFC Grand Prix attendees can choose between general admission and VIP seating packages with only a few select VIP tables still available.

Details about the complete fight card, corporate sponsors, pre- and post-fight fighter appearances, and broadcast partners will be announced weekly leading up to the fight. Fans can visit XFCFight.com for more information or www.XFCGrandPrix.com for exclusive XFC and XFC Grand Prix licensed merchandise.

"The first weekend in June will offer fans of sports, entertainment, and spectacle a stacked card of opportunities to kick off summer in Detroit," said XFC COO Doug Kuiper. "Following on the heels of a packed first day of racing, XFC will bring national and local names to the ring and provide an unrivaled, adrenaline-packed evening of entertainment for Detroit Grand Prix and mixed martial arts fans."

XFC Grand Prix coincides with the return of the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix Presented by Lear to the downtown streets of Detroit, making the first weekend of June the unofficial kick off to summer sports in the Motor City. The Friday evening XFC Grand Prix will be preceded by practice and qualifying sessions featuring all of the racing series competing on day one of the Detroit Grand Prix weekend.

Xtreme Fighting Championships announce top

matchups for MMA event on Grand Prix Weekend

By Stacy M. Brown

NNPA Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia

Snoop Dogg, the hip-hop legend and business mogul, has joined entrepreneur Neko Sparks in a bid to buy the National Hockey League’s Ottawa Senators.

In an Instagram post, Snoop announced his involvement.

Snoop wrote to his 80 million fans, “It’s crazy what Neko Sparks is trying to do in Ottawa.” “I’m excited about being a part of that business team. “I WANT TO BRING HOCKEY BACK TO OUR AREA.”

According to The Athletic, the legend counts among more than a dozen investors — including numerous persons of color — in Sparks’ consortium, which is making a significant push at owning the Senators.

The final price for the Ottawa club could be more than $1 billion, making it the most expensive sale in NHL history.

If their bid is successful, the idea of Snoop being an NHL owner could be appealing.

Unquestionably one of the most popular entertainers today, Snoop’s presence could lead to unprecedented interest from African Americans, who have mostly shied away from hockey.

Sports analysts believe that if the Senators construct a new arena, Snoop could increase fans and media coverage.

Such a move would lead to massive revenue generation for the team.

The Senators play in a rink far beyond the city’s borders.

Moving the team downtown is essential for the team’s future owner.

ESPN said Sparks does have competition.

The investment of star Ryan Reynolds in The Remington Group, which is also interested, makes it a front-runner that isn’t scared off by Ottawa’s possible $1 billion offer.

There has yet to be an official date for when the sale of the Senators will finish, as the process of talking with and vetting the most qualified buyers is still going on.

“I’ve been watching hockey for about 25 years now. I’ll watch it more and more when kids that look like me play the game. But I’m not seeing it being offered to the kids over here in America. I know how big it is in Canada,” Snoop told ESPN.

“I’ve been down with the NHL for a long time. Going to games, announcing games, and being a part of the society.

“This opportunity came for me to be a part of the ownership of the Ottawa Senators, so I jumped on it. The plan that we have is to also go and build a Snoop Youth Hockey League outside of Canada, so kids in urban communities can learn about hockey, play the sport, and find ways to get into this great thing that’s called hockey.

“Right now the NBA and the NHL is having some great playoff games and the kids need to know that there is an option to play hockey if you look like me.”

Snoop also explained how his Snoop Youth Football League has helped inner-city kids and families live better lives.

He said that C.J. Stroud, who was just picked second in the NFL Draft for 2023, got his start in his football league.

He hopes to do the same thing for the Black community through hockey.

“I’m saying if we were to bring another sport, such as hockey—which is on TV, and they could see it—now these kids can learn how to play the sport, they can understand that this is another way out,” he said.

“You don’t have to play football, basketball, and baseball. Here’s another option. And at the same time, we will grow the sport, and it will grow as a Black owner being part of a big organization with majority ownership. Never done before, so it can be the first.”

Snoop Dog joins bid to buy NHL team